Terra Saurus | Epic Ales

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Reviews by flagmantho:

Appearance: very dark color which admits a little crimson light when held up to a light source. Head is a very thin tan film. Not the best, but it's good enough for me.

Smell: chocolatey and roasty aroma which is definitely earthy. At first I could not readily identify this earthy quality as mushrooms, but after some deep inhalations I can catch a whiff of their subtle contribution.

Taste: I like this. I find it growing on me as I consume this glass; the mushroom is subtle and the flavor profile is smooth and enticing. Bitterness is right on target -- hops are way in the back and have a slight vegetable quality. This is a good brew.

Mouthfeel: somewhat light in body for a stout, though there is a nice well-integrated carbonation yielding some creaminess. Good, but could be richer.

Drinkability: I'm finding this to be surprisingly drinkable. It would be interesting to see what this base brew is like without the shiitakes, just to have an idea of what all the mushrooms are imparting to the beer other than a general earthiness. This is good stuff and I would readily drink it again.

T: Definitely a sour earthy beer with a hint of smokiness. Clearly not what you're expecting when you take a look at this bad boy.

M: The mouth feel is very reminiscent of champagne. Nice carbonation, but not what you'd expect when looking at it.

O: Fabulous! As I've said a few times, this is not the beer you think you're getting based on the classification or even looking at it. Is this really an oatmeal stout? I think not. Classification as an "Umami Sour" may be appropriate. :-)

Nice sour flavor with a hint of dark malt. Well worth seeking and enjoying. AWESOME.

Strange brew, looks like an imperial stout with a black colour. The aroma is smokey, and chocolaye. The taste is a little sour and vegetative taste, a little watery chocolate. Not too drinkable. Promises but does not deliver. Thanks for bringing Jeremy.

Pours deep dark brown.. light tan head with good retention and okay lacing.

Nose is earthy with a nice roasty punch.

Flavor has a bit of a sour note that I don't think is from an infection, but it is definitely odd when combined with the enveloping roastiness.... a bit thin on the body... and the carbonation accentuates that fact.

Interesting.... I would have liked an entire bottle to really get to know it a bit more.. but I doubt I could finish it.

This is one for mushroom lovers. Dark brown body with tightly packed bubbles, mocha head. Lots of carbonation. Scent has dark roasted malts and earthy (like dirt). Taste is pretty crazy. Starts off like a brown ale then transitions into raw mushrooms, dirt and earth but ends with a rich roasted malt flavor.

It took some time wrapping my palate around this beer. I love mushrooms so this was pretty cool to try. After I got over the dirt flavor I started to really enjoy it. An insanely complex low ABV beer. Not for mushrooms haters though. I wasn't sure exactly what style this was. Mouthfeel is no where near like an oatmeal stout. This was more like a brown ale with roasted malts.

A - Pours a very dark brown, almost black. Very opaque, but shines a deep orange when held up to the light. Half a finger of tan small bubble head.

S - Mild scent, sour up front, with a very noticeable earthy scent to finish.

T - Zips the tongue with a flash of spiciness that transitions to sour. Earthy flavor begins to become apparent (probably the shiitake mushrooms), and it finishes with a pop of brine.

M - Low carbonation, light medium body, but still smooth.

D - It's interesting and unique. Paired well with food, it would make a very distinctive fine dining experience. But it's not a beer I would drink just casually.

If you're trying to discover where a craftsman with vision can take a beer, definitely try this. The flavor profile is more of a sour than an oatmeal stout, so if you're expecting a "mainstream" stout, you will be surprised!

A: The pour is a dark brown with some notes of red and a finger's worth of tan head.

S: A very interesting aroma to this beer. Quite a bit of chocolate and roasted malt with a definite earthy and musty aroma that is undoubtedly from the mushrooms. There's a bit of a meaty and lightly smokey aroma as well.

T: The roasted flavors of the stout base are prominent on the front end with some chocolate, and (no other way to say this) dirt. The mushrooms add a really strange flavor that I can't quite describe, almost sourness.

M: The body is medium with a moderate level of carbonation, too.

D: This one was just a little too much for me. I really love mushrooms, but I'm not exactly sure they have a place in beer.

A: Pours a deep ruby brown with a thumb of off white head that has okay retention and decent lacing.

S: I smell roasted sesame seeds, and tangy fungus. There is a definite chocolate/roasted malt background with a touch of coffee.

T: A strong black sesame and sweet coffee like malt give it an almost Asian twist. Hard not to guzzle the drink in one go. There is so much depth of flavor with the earthiness the mushroom imparts, and the heavily roasted chocolate malt.

Pours a deep dark brown with a small dark beige head. Fades to a thin ring. No real lacing.

Aroma is pretty straightforward stout. Roasty chocolate malts. A touch of sweetness. Some earthiness. Not very strong.

Taste brings on a surprising tartness. I suppose I should have expected something different from this brewery, and a brew that includes mushrooms. Sweetness joins tartness through the middle. Roasty malts finally emerge in the finish along with some bitterness. A smoky earthy flavor is there as well along with some grittiness, I'll credit that to the mushrooms. Overall a brighter and crisper flavor than most stouts.

Very dark roast, robust porter smelling. Lots of fruity esters and a cool earthiness to it. I want to say that's the mushrooms but I'm not convinced it isn't the yeast. Smells rich and complex.

Pours dark black and almost totally opaque held up to light. Started with a big tan head but that went away quickly and now there's just the tiniest ring of bubbles around the rim of the glass. No lasting lacing.

Big roasty flavor right off. Lots of chocolate malt and smokey roast malt. And then there's that earthy thing going on that I've never tasted in a beer so I'll chalk it up to the mushrooms. On the back end it's base-malt sweet with just enough bittering hops and the aftertaste is roasty and earthy. If you gave it to people blind I'm sure they wouldn't pick up mushrooms in the flavor but it does seem to add another layer.

Full bodied with a kind of light carbonation level. A little more carb and it would seem lighter.

It's a good stout with a little something extra. Crazy idea brewing with mushrooms but it works.

Interesting, and so far my favourite Epic Ales' brew. Cloudy, almost opaque ruby-black. When held up to the light, I can make out little floating chunks of brown yeast.

Odd metallic scent followed by a weird chocolatey earth scent. Sweet, with dark chocolate and a rich earthiness to the flavour. Reminds quite a bit of the Scottish beer Kelpie, though creamier earthier.

Nice and smooth, and actually quite nice. This is definitely one I'd buy again.

Poured deep reddish-brown into a tulip with a finger of fairly quick-receding khaki head. Slightly sweet aroma of coffee and a bit of cocoa.

Moderate carbonation and a full, creamy mouthfeel. Begins with mild sesame and more traditional flavors of bready malt, coffee, and chocolate, but after a few seconds the shiitake mushroom creeps up and asserts itself on the long and somewhat dry finish. I'm a big mushroom fan, so the "umami" profile of this brew really appealed to me. Despite the low ABV, this one was a sipper; as it warmed, I actually had a bit of trouble finishing the last couple ounces due to the more earthy flavors coming forward.

Can an oatmeal stout really be brewed with shiitake mushrooms? Should it? For each barrel, Terra Saurus uses a pound of dried shiitake in the mash and a pound of fresh shiitake in the boil. The mushroom elements are not prominent though they add a savory broth-like quality that Epic's brewer suggests pairing with pâté or something gamey like duck breast. That suggestion may have merit. But if you're not serving pâté and duck breast tonight this anomalous black ale may not achieve more than novelty. It's worth trying and the body is glossy and smooth. But I can't see it as a regular feature in your fridge.